Speech-language pathology assistants (SLPA) are support personnel who, following academic coursework, fieldwork, and on-the-job training, perform tasks prescribed, directed, and supervised by a speech-language pathologist who is licensed by the Arkansas Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology (ABESPA) or holds a certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. There are typically two levels of support personnel: aides and assistants, but the definitions vary from state to state. In Arkansas, speech-language pathology aides (SLP aide) may be utilized in a school setting. Like SLPAs, an SLP aide performs tasks directed and supervised by a speech-language pathologist who holds a current license from ABESPA.